Portrayed by Mark Copani - and perhaps the most foolish thing WWE have ever done - Muhammad Hassan was introduced in 2004 as an Arab-American character wanting relief from the increased prejudice and stereotypes created by the 9/11 attacks. Granted, he wasn't exactly a terrorist himself (at least not to begin with), but anything related to the topic of terrorism - particular the 9/11 attacks in America - is a very foolish subject to deal with unnecessarily. The gimmick went too far on one occasion when Hassan was shown on television carrying out an act that certainly resembled something stereotypically carried out by terrorists. During a conflict between Hassan, his manager Daivari and the Undertaker, Hassan began to "pray" on the entrance ramp, which summoned five masked men, dressed in black shirts, ski-masks and camouflage pants. Armed with clubs and a piano wire, they choked the Undertaker out and beat him to a pulp. Just three days later, the London bombings took place, which emphasised the bad taste of the gimmick more than ever, and Hassan was soon taken off the air. So there you have it - ten insane inspirations behind famous wrestling gimmicks. Did you enjoy this article? Did you know of all of these inspirations? What other gimmicks were inspired by bizarre sources? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. And please feel free to follow me on Twitter!
